This invention relates to sporting goods. More specifically, the present invention relates to a strap arrangement utilized in connection with wader boots to help hold a foot and lower leg securely within the wader boot.
Wader boots are well known to fisherman and hunters. A fisherman or hunter will often put his or her stocking feet within the wader boot, which may or may not be close to the right size for his or her foot, and walk out into a stream or river and/or wade in mud while hunting. When the wader boot is not precisely the same size as the wearer's foot, the foot tends to slip lengthwise within the boot and, over time, such becomes uncomfortable for the fisherman or hunter. The problem is exacerbated when water accumulates in the bottom of the wader boot. Further, if the wader boot is not secure, the wearer's feet have a tendency to slip out of the boot when the bottom of the lake or stream is soft or muddy. This can be potentially dangerous in that the person can trip and fall into the water, thus risking drowning.
There are many devices in the prior art which utilize straps on shoes for various purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 193,342 to Mills discloses the use of a boot strap for a stir-up and rowel.
U.S. Pat. No. 892,152 to Harman discloses the use of a strap and plate which protect the shoe when using a hand shovel.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,155,506 to Osaki discloses the use of a strapping mechanism to maintain the shape and increase the life of the shoe.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,513,539 to East discloses the use of a strapped toothed plate to be used as a anti-slipping device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,947 to Parracho discloses the use of a removable Y-shaped sheet spring for ankle support in athletic shoes.
None of the above noted prior devices resolve the problems associated with using wader boots in streams or in the mud. Accordingly, there is a need for some type of adjustment mechanism which would permit a fisherman's or hunter's foot to be more securely positioned within the wader boot to prevent it from sliding lengthwise. Additionally, such a device is needed which can be adapted for use with virtually any type and style of wader boot, and adjusted to fit the needs of an individual fisherman or hunter. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.